Certain phosphonites have been used as a part of hydrocyanation catalyst systems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,850 discloses the use of a catalyst composition in hydroformylation and hydrocyanation reactions. WO9843935 discloses the use of certain phosphonite ligands as part of a catalyst system in a process for producing an aldehyde. WO9946044 relates to a hydroformylation process using phosphonite ligands as part of the catalyst system for hydroformylation reactions. U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,633 discloses a process for the production of nitriles using catalysts containing phosphonite ligands. Further, WO9964155 discloses use of catalysts containing phosphorous ligands in hydrocyanation reactions.
Despite the disclosure of various ligands in hydrocyanation and hydroformylation processes. Catalyst compositions comprising certain multidentate phosphonite ligands show effectiveness and/or higher performance and achieve improvements in rapidity, selectivity, efficiency or stability.